Neville Partridge completes Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) endorsement. After a very
long audit process and check flight with Zane Tully of Recreational Aviation Australia
(RAA) Neville Partridge has become the Club’s new Chief Flying Instructor. Neville
will now take over from current CFI Keith McGeachie who has provided years of valuable
service to the Club. The Club takes this opportunity to thank Keith for his contribution
wish him well in his future endeavours.

The club welcomes new member Nick Woodbyrne from Muswellbrook. Nick is a mining engineer
at Mount Arthur and flies a Cessna 182P. The club is excited to have Nick and his
lovely partner Jess on board.

SAC Annual General Meeting was held Friday 28 September with all positions filled
and none contested. President Neville Partridge thanked the many individuals who
make the club function so well on a day to day basis, and acknowledged the extraordinary
effort involved in building the new Hangar. Changes to the Committee have been posted
on the Contact Us page. Sub Committees will be formed at the next board meeting Tuesday
16 October. The board thanks outgoing committee member Ian Beard for his contribution
to the club.

Foxbat Hire will soon be organised by instructor Nick Wilson through a booking schedule
to be posted on the website. The schedule will appear above the Calendar in the What’s
On section, with a link from the Training page also. In the meantime however, contact
Nick Wilson for availability and hire

Winner of the September Flying Comp has been announced with Lane Rickett taking out
top honours on 95 points. Lane’s glide in approach, though unconventional, yielded
him a touchdown within 5 metres of the X landing zone. Dave Jackson came a commendable
second with Ben Hodges and Phil Bradley rounding out the minor placings. SAC 2012
Annual General Meeting has been set for 6pm on Friday 28 September. BBQ meal will
be held after the meeting. Contact Club Secretary James Goodwinfor more details.
All welcome !

ITS HAPPENING !! The Scone Aero Club New Hanger Grand-Opening Christmas Party & Fly-In
has been set for Saturday Nov 17. At this stage the Club is advising you to SAVE
THE DATE for this very special occasion. More details will be posted soon!!

The Club welcomes new member Simon Shirdon from Scone Aircraft Maintenance.

June Flying comp results have been announced with Ben Hodgesnotching up another
win, Dave Jackson second and Lane Rickett a close third. Competitors were required
to climb to 3500 ft, execute a power-off glide approach and land at a predetermined
spot on the runway, then complete a quick 500 ft circuit. Next comp will be Saturday
15 September. Spectators always welcome!

Fitting out of the club’s new Hangar is progressing well with tiles, carpet, fixtures
and fittings added over the last month. Stairs and guardrail for the mezzanine area
are now installed and most painting is complete. Members Robin Foxcroft, Geoff Shopland,
James Goodwin, Dave Jackson, Brian Hill, Ian Beard, Lane Rickett, Gary Dee and others
have worked tirelessly alongside President Neville Partridge to complete the work.
Neville commented that it was important to keep the momentum rolling with a project
such as the Hangar fit out, and these members especially have made an extraordinary
effort in bringing everything together. See photos in the gallery.

The club welcomes new members Andre and Fiona Estrada. Andre is beginning his training
as an RAA pilot, and his enthusiasm for flying is expected serve him well in his
endeavour. The Scone Aero Club appreciates the support of Andre and his wife Fiona,
and are very happy to have them both as new members.

Vic Laybutt and the Wedderburn crew flew into Middlebrook Station last weekend with
a good variety of planes. One highlight was the high-speed low-level passes from
the twin engine Aero Commander late Friday afternoon. The Wedderburn airstrip is
a private airstrip located 20kms south of Campbelltown, owned and operated entirely
by members. The Wedderburn crew was hosted for dinner at the Scone Aero Club on Friday
evening.

Phil Bradley completed his first solo navigation flight (nav) last weekend with a
flight from Scone to Quirindi, Merriwa and back to Scone. Phil has completed navigation
flights with both Neville Partridge and Nick Wilson as instructors, and has progressed
well throughout his training. We can expect to see Phil’s distinctive yellow Aeroprakt
Foxbat in the air doing more cross country flights from now on.

Auster’s Fly In To Middlebrook. Middlebrook Station played host to the Auster Fly-In
with a record 43 planes in attendance.

Hosted by Susanne and Alan Henderson of Middlebrook Station, and supported by the
Scone Aero Club, the weekend attracted visitors from all over Victoria and New South
Wales. More

Two new members have joined the club this month. The board welcomes Sean Fox and
Shannon McGowan, both contract sheeties at Pay’s Air Service, as new members of the
Scone Aero Club. The board is excited about having these fine young men as part of
the club.

The opening of the Col Pay Memorial Hangar was a resounding success with many people,
pilots and planes attending the day’s proceedings. Members of the Pay family including
Dianne, Ross, Ann-Maree, Helen, Alexander, and Sam were present for the opening,
with the hangar formally opened by Member for Upper Hunter George Souris and Scone
Aero Club president Neville Partridge. The skies cleared throughout the morning to
allow a variety of aircraft to attend the day, perhaps most notably the P51 Mustang
from Pay’s Warbird collection flown by Ross Pay. Tiger Moth and Bird Dog aircraft
along with Pay’s Squirrel helicopter were also in operation, plus the skydive Oz
team and a variety of private aircraft. At the dinner on Saturday night, president
Neville Partridge unveiled the Ron Haggarty Bar in the new hangar, and presented
awards including airmanship, student pilot of the year, and competition pilot of
the year. Thanks were also given to Tom Lavelle for his years of service to the club.
Neville Partridge took the opportunity to thank the great many people who contributed
to make the weekend such a success, plus the many individuals who support the Scone
Aero Club on an ongoing basis. The Scone Aero Club also takes the opportunity to
thank the Pay family for their support over many years, and to remember the late
Colin Pay, one of aviation’s true pioneering hero’s. For Photos click here.